Chinese military buffs build replica J-20 stealth fighter
Enthusiasts use five tonnes of steel to build a shell of China’s latest generation fighter aircraft
Three military enthusiasts from central China have built a replica of a J-20 stealth fighter.
The men in their 20s from a village near Wuhan in Hubei province spent 200,000 yuan (US$36,000) and 14 months building the model, news website Cnhubei.com reported.
The replica was 20 metres long and four metres high, but could not fly because it did not have an engine and other electronics, the report said.
Pictures show the gleaming model standing next to a row of makeshift sheds and workshops.
China’s military first publicly showed the J-20 – its most advanced stealth fighter – at the Zhuhai air show in Guangdong province last year.
Li told the website the team were now keen to work on similar projects in the future.
“We are going to build a replica of the most advanced tank after finishing the jet,” he was quoted as saying.
Internet users were impressed with the men’s skills in building the replica.
“It’s just sheet metal, but their true patriotic spirit should be admired,” one person commented.